Leopold Mozart

Leopold Mozart (14 November 1719-28 May 1787) was a German violinist and composer during the 18th century. Renowned for his musical talent, Mozart traveled Europe with his young son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1770s, performing for the Pope and many other prominent figures.

Biography
Leopold Mozart was born in Augsburg, Bavaria on 14 November 1719, and he appeared in theatrical productions while he was a student. Mozart would become a skilled violinist and organist, and he began his career as a musician in 1740. In 1743, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg took him under his wing, and Mozart became a Kapellmeister in 1763. By 1756, his works circulated widely in German-speaking Europe, and Mozart, his wife, and their young son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart travelled across Europe and performed in front of prominent figures such as the Pope. In 1778, his wife died, and Mozart would not get along well with his son due to his son's childish and immature attitude. Leopold Mozart frequently criticized his son, especially after he married an innskeeper's daughter without his permission, and his death in 1787 haunted Wolfgang. The younger Mozart wrote the opera Don Giovanni to convey his anger about his father being disappointed with him.